


Trying To Stop A Blaze Off A Burning Fire

by Bethalous



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Everything after Nibiru is just a premonition, Falling In Love, Getting Together, M/M, Male Slash, McCoy sees the future, Needing Someone, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Slash, Psychic!Bones, Relationship Reveal, so it's more Precognitive!Bones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-24
Updated: 2014-08-10
Packaged: 2018-02-06 01:51:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1839958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bethalous/pseuds/Bethalous
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leonard McCoy has been able to see the future all his life and it often comes in handy for his job as CMO for the Enterprise. When he foresees the destruction of so much he holds dear, he will do whatever it takes to prevent that future from taking place. However, by changing the future, he is unprepared for the turn his interaction with the augment Khan will take. He wanted a new future, and now he has one. But will everyone accept it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is going to take a bit of explaining but I don't want to spoil it so go to the End Notes for information.  
> I think this story will probably come in about 3 parts but as I haven't written the other two yet, who knows. I hope to get them done soon but you'll really just have to wait.  
> I also know that this is kind of an odd pair but I love it (I'm still a Spones fan though so my other readers 'don't panic', there will be more Spock/Bones love when this is finished).  
> Feel free to leave any comments but try not to be too harsh. And you may also want to treat this story like a cheesy disaster movie. You know, the type where if you begin questioning things, it ends up completely ridiculous and ruined. Just sayin'. Oh, and not Beta'd so all mistakes are my own.

_“I can save her.”_

_“What did you say?”_

_“Your daughter. I can save her.”_

_“Who are you?”_

_“John Harrison was a fiction created the moment I was awoken by your Admiral Marcus to help him advance his cause, a smokescreen to conceal my true identity. My name is... KHAN.”_

_“Why would a Starfleet admiral ask a three-hundred-year-old frozen man for help?”_

_“Because I am better.”_

_“At what?”_

_“Everything. Alexander Marcus needed to respond to an uncivilized threat in a civilized time, and for that, he needed a warrior's mind - my mind - to design weapons and warships.”_

_“You are suggesting the Admiral violated every regulation he vowed to uphold, simply because he wanted to exploit your intellect...”_

_“He wanted to exploit my savagery! Intellect alone is useless in a fight, Mr. Spock. You, you can't even break a rule - how can you be expected to break bone? Marcus used me to design weapons. I helped him realize his vision of a militarized Starfleet. He sent you to use those weapons, to fire my torpedoes on an unsuspecting planet, and then he purposely crippled your ship in enemy space, leading to one inevitable outcome: the Klingons would come searching for whoever was responsible, and you would have no chance of escape. Marcus would finally have the war he talked about, the war he always wanted.”_

_“I watched you open fire in a room full of unarmed Starfleet officers. You killed them in cold blood.”_

_“Well Kirk, it seems apt to return you to your crew. After all, no ship should go down without her captain.”_

_“I'm scared, Spock... help me not to be... how do you choose not to feel?”_

_“I do not know. Right now, I am failing.”_

_“I wanted you to know why I couldn't let you die... why I went back for you...”_

_“Because you are my friend.”_

 

_“KHAAANNNN!”_

Leonard shot up, suddenly wide awake, breathing heavy. It took several minutes for him to get his heart rate back under control and to remember where he was. He was in his quarters – the CMO quarters – aboard the USS _Enterprise_ on the way back to Earth from the mission on Nibiru. He let out a sigh, dropping his head into his hands as the sweat cooled on his body. He hadn’t had such a huge premonition since Vulcan. Yes, he had used his gift since; to make sure he was always prepared and he’d had dreams about missions (Spock’s actions on Nibiru had been of no shock to him) but nothing on this scale. This terrified him – even more than the 3 months dreaming of Vulcan’s destruction. He couldn’t just let Jim die! Checking the chronometer, Leonard decided to start his shift early and worry about how to stop the events of his premonition later. He had time, but as soon as they reached Earth, he had to talk to Pike.

 

Christopher Pike had always been aware of Leonard McCoy’s gift. He had learned of it from his good friend Phillip Boyce, a doctor who had met a young Leonard McCoy at a medical conference. The two medically inclined men had been discussing Leonard’s radical idea for advancement in neurosurgery when Boyce found himself just clear of phaser fire, thanks to a gentle replacing of himself by Leonard. The younger man had ended up revealing his gift, feeling an odd trust for the Starfleet doctor. Boyce had promised to tell no one except a good friend of his that was a captain and would be interested in Leonard’s skills as a doctor. Leonard had frankly said that he would never set foot on a star ship but if this friend ever needed to see the future, he would see what he could do. And so, Christopher Pike became the second person outside of family that knew of the precognitive doctor. Pike had never really had the opportunity to see Leonard’s talents until the debacle that was Nero. Jim had commed him, demanding that he come to his room where his hysterical roommate, Leonard McCoy, was calling for him after a nightmare about the end of a planet. Jim hadn’t known then about Leonard’s foresight and so Pike was the only one to be informed of the full truth of the nightmares that had been plaguing the doctor. Pike hadn’t been able to do anything and had spent a lot of time apologising profusely to a depressed Leonard after the event, promising that he would never let such a thing happen again. This meant that the evening _Enterprise_ docked at Earth, Pike listened very carefully when Leonard McCoy burst into his home on the academy grounds, claiming that Jim was going to die but he had a plan that would save everyone, including Pike. Pike offered his full assistance and they outlined each stage of the plan. Unfortunately, it wasn’t going to be easy.

First, Khan had to be stopped in London.

Second, Section 31 would have to be accessed and the coordinates of Marcus’ ship surrounded, with permission from the admiralty.

Third, Marcus would be tried for war mongering.

Pike would take care of the second stage from San Francisco tomorrow while Leonard would leave for London tonight.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Leonard waited patiently in an alcove by the hospital balcony, silently watching the doctors, patients and visitors walking past. Thomas Harewood had arrived 10 minutes ago with his wife, and several officers were surreptitiously watching him, disguised as doctors. Leonard’s premonition had shown Khan approaching Harewood on the balcony so he was stationed to intercept the augment before he could offer his cure for Harewood’s daughter. As much as Leonard hated to condemn a life when it could be (would be) saved, Khan had to be stopped. Perhaps, after his plan had been stopped, Leonard could convince him to help the girl anyway, or take a sample of his blood and save her himself. Leonard sighed. No, he couldn’t just take Khan’s blood and use it without permission; he wasn’t that man from his premonition yet and hopefully never would be.

“Sir, target is on his way to your position,” came across the comm.

“Copy that,” Leonard replied, slipping further into the alcove as Harewood walked past him, obviously lost in his own thoughts. Leonard stepped closer to the balcony door and checked over his shoulder, looking for Khan. He couldn’t see him yet so he settle back against the wall of the alcove, waiting. He didn’t have to wait long. A few minutes later, the tall and imposing figure of Khan Noonien Singh was striding towards him, gaze fixed upon Harewood’s back. Leonard took a deep breath and then stepped out of the alcove, right in front of Khan’s path, halting his movements. The augment raised an eyebrow at him but before the taller man had the chance to step around him, Leonard opened his mouth.

“Don’t do this Khan.”

A mix of emotions (shock, fear, suspicion) sped across Khan’s face before the cold, blank mask slid back into place. Leonard didn’t dare lose eye contact and tried not to let any of his fear show. He must have done an acceptable job as the corner of Khan’s mouth lifted slightly in smirk.

“I'm afraid I have no idea what you are talking about,” Khan said calmly. Leonard wasn’t put off though.

“Your name is Khan Noonien Singh. You’re an augment who fled Earth around 300 years ago in cryogenic sleep with 72 others. You were awoken by Admiral Marcus a little over a year ago and he abused your enhanced skills to create weapons for war; including a warship which has been hidden at the coordinates 23.17.46.11. He has threatened your family and used them to control you. However, you are now fighting back. You are going to offer that man over there the chance to save his daughter in return for his life.” Leonard lowered the arm he had used to gesture with and took another deep breath. “But I can’t let you do it. I won’t let you destroy Section 31 here in London. I won’t let you then head to Starfleet headquarters and attack the admiralty. And I most certainly won’t let you flee to Qo’noS.”

Khan’s face was a picture of shock and fury. Before Leonard could say anything else, a hand closed around his throat and he found himself slammed back into the alcove, Khan’s weight pressing him into the wall.

“How. Could you **possibly**. Know. All that?” Khan ground, his voice low and dangerous (and Leonard had to quickly crush that traitorous part of his mind that liked the sound of it.)

“You have your gifts, I have mine,” Leonard choked. The hand on his throat loosened and he gulped in huge breaths of air.

“You are human.” The statement wasn’t as disgusted as Leonard expected it to be – it was almost impressed – but he guessed that he must have somewhat proven himself.

“Yeah,” Leonard answered, though it wasn’t required, as he massaged his throat. “It doesn’t mean I'm useless though.”

“I see that,” Khan said, voice calm once more. “Tell me, this gift of yours, it allows you knowledge?”

“Of the future, yes. Which is why I'm here.”

“To stop me, of course. But tell me, how do you plan on doing that? Why should I discard my plan and listen to you?”

“Because I can guarantee your family’s safety,” Leonard said boldly. The two men stared at each other, both refusing to show weakness.

“Why should I trust you? I don’t even know your name.” Khan finally said. His voice had wavered only slightly but Leonard knew that he was close to accepting the deal.

“I'm a doctor,” Leonard said, “And that means that it is my job – my life – to help and save people, no matter who they are. Let me help you and save so many. I have no ulterior motives, Khan. I just want to help. And my name is Leonard, Leonard McCoy.”

 

 

Khan sat silently in the office of Starfleet Headquarters that Leonard had left him in, posture straight as befitted a soldier but ready to attack if need be. Leonard had told him to wait while he collected the admiral that he was working with and Khan had been surprised to hear him argue with the officers being placed outside, saying that Khan didn’t need a guard. It was odd to consider a human trusting him and it made Khan feel on edge. Marcus had abused him, yes, but at least he had acted like the humans Khan remembered – Leonard did not. The doctor, it seemed, truly only cared about helping people and was even willing to work with someone he knew to be dangerous to do so. His gift also unnerved Khan. He did not believe that Leonard had any type of genetic enhancement but for such a skill to occur naturally, and in someone fully human…it was strange. But then, this whole time was. Khan had managed to learn all he needed of Earth’s history up to this point from the servers at Section 31 and he had been surprised at how far humans had come and how much they had accomplished with the Federation and Starfleet. Marcus had proved that some still hand the penchant for war though.

He refused to sigh but he was getting bored of waiting for the humans. He wasn’t even sure why he had agreed to come with Leonard to Starfleet HQ; there was just something so…impossibly good…about Leonard that had drawn him in. That, and the intrigue of his precognition. Khan shook his head to clear his thoughts just as the door to the office opened and Leonard entered, a small smile on his face (oddly enough, directed at Khan) and an older gentleman with grey hair in an admirals uniform behind him.

“Sorry for the wait,” Leonard said. “Allow me to introduce Admiral Christopher Pike. He knows about my gift and has spent the time we’ve been in London securing a prosecuting order against Marcus…who is now in Starfleet custody.”

“Impressive Admiral,” Khan said, raising his eyebrow in surprise. “I didn’t realise mankind had become so proficient.”

“Well, we do try,” Pike replied evenly, as he sat at the desk. Leonard took the seat by Khan, flashing him another smile ( _Was this guy always so free with them?_ ) before giving his attention to the admiral.

“So you have halted Marcus momentarily. What do you plan to do now?” Khan asked, his emotions well hidden.

“We have an impeccable case against Marcus, Khan. He will not get away. Section 31 is set to be swept of data and a ship is already on its way to the coordinates of the _Vengeance_. You know the best places to look in Section 31 for evidence to completely convict Marcus so I would like you to go there and find it.”

“I assume you will have me watched and kept on a tight leash?” Khan asked bitterly, a scowl clear on his face.

“You may not have performed the acts Leonard foresaw but you are still dangerous,” Pike began but Leonard interrupted him.

“Khan, if you prove that we can trust you, then there won’t be any leash. As it is, I'm going to be the one watching you.”

“McCoy that is not what…”Pike tried to say but Leonard cut him off with a glare. Khan was unsure what to make of this new development. On the one hand, having only Leonard as a babysitter was much preferred to being surrounded by guards, but on the other, he knew too little about the man and his gift.

“Very well,” Khan said, disrupting the silent communication of the other two. “I’ll be sure to stay in Leonard’s sight at all times.” Pike shot him an uncertain glare but Leonard…Leonard gave him another smile, and this one caused a curious resonance within his chest. Pushing the feeling aside, Khan focused his attention back on Pike to listen to his final instructions.

“Fine,” Pike said shortly. “He’s your responsibility. You’ve got a spare room in your apartment? Good, he’ll stay there. I’ll have a shuttle pick you up in the morning to take you back to London and I’ll comm the hospital about you shifts. I'm trusting you here Leonard, watch him like a hawk. Now get out; I have to speak to your idiot captain. He’s lucky this has turned up, otherwise he’s have lost _Enterprise_.”

Leonard stood up as Pike finished speaking and Khan followed him out of the office.

“Your captain?” Khan asked, observing a way to gain more information on the man beside him.”

“I'm CMO for the star ship _Enterprise_ under the youngest and greatest captain, James Tiberius Kirk.” Leonard said this with a smile that seemed to suggest that if this ‘James Kirk’ was here, he would feel teased.

“You joke about your superior behind his back?” Khan wasn’t pleased by the insubordination but Leonard didn’t appear to be being cruel.

“And to his face,” Leonard added, a full on grin adorning his face. “Seriously though, Jim is my best friend and, one day, no one will be able to call him anything but the greatest captain. But he’s still young; needs to grow a bit. One day though, and I'm going to be up there with him.”

“You truly care for this man,” Khan stated, surprised by the fierce loyalty in Leonard’s voice.

“Of course. I had nothing, it’s why I joined Starfleet. Then 10 minutes into the shuttle ride, I had a best friend – a brother – for life. I'm aviophobic but Jim has taught me to feel at home only on his ship; I struggle to sleep anywhere else now. And I wouldn’t change that,” Leonard concluded firmly. He was smiling softly now and Khan again felt that resonance in his chest. He wasn’t sure what to say now but he was saved from thinking of a topic by a cry from the corridor to their left.

“Hey, Bones!”

Khan turned to see a blonde haired man run up to them and pull Leonard into a hug. Leonard returned the embrace eagerly and so from this and the man’s uniform, Khan reasoned that this must be Captain Kirk.

“Bones, guess what? Pike isn’t taking _Enterprise_ from me! I'm meeting with him now about it but they’re not taking her.” The blonde’s excitement was almost electric and Khan had to curb the urge to laugh. Leonard didn’t though and began speaking just as happily.

“That’s great, kid. I told you, you had nothing to worry about.”

“Yeah, I know. I better get to Pike but I'm still worried about the situation. I mean, how can I trust Spock now?”

“Kid, listen to me,” Leonard said reassuringly, placing a hand on Jim’s shoulder. Khan observed as the younger man completely relaxed upon the contact and stored the information away as another reason to stick by Leonard – he relaxed others effortlessly.

“You’ll work this issue out with Spock,” Leonard was saying, “But it’ll take time. For now, focus on convincing Pike that you are the best captain the _Enterprise_ could ever have.”

“Got it Bones. Thanks,” Jim said, giving his friend another hug. Catching sight of Khan, he whispered to his friend “Who’s this?”

Khan pretended that he couldn’t hear what was being said but he was curious how Leonard would answer.

“Officer from London that I'm going to go work with for a little while. Don’t worry,” he said quickly as Jim looked ready to interrupt, “I’ll be back by the time you’re all ready to ship out. I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”

“Sure thing Bones,” Jim said and then he was gone, striding towards Pike’s office and oozing confidence. Khan raised an eyebrow at Leonard who just laughed.

“I’ll explain on the walk to my apartment. It’s a long story.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Khan looked around Leonard’s apartment with barely concealed interest. The place looked as if it hadn’t been occupied for a long time, which made sense as Leonard was the CMO of a star ship.

“Sorry that the place is a mess. We only got back to Earth a couple of days ago and I rushed straight to Pike and then to London.”

“It is really no problem. You have no need to apologise,” Khan found himself saying, and then couldn’t berate himself because Leonard rewarded his words with another of his smiles.

“Well, that’s your room over there,” Leonard continued, pointing to one of the two doors in one of the rooms. “Usually the only person who uses it is Jim and it’s the closest to the bathroom. My room’s through that door by the kitchen area. I don’t actually have any food in so I guess we’ll order takeaway. Chinese okay with you?”

Khan just stood in a sort of daze as Leonard moved around the space, talking. It was all a little overwhelming really. He hadn’t expected any of this; his plan had been a lot more violent and had included more running.

“Khan, breathe.” Leonard’s voice was suddenly coming from right in front of him and there was a gentle pressure on his neck. Khan focused to find himself looking directly into Leonard’s eyes and realised that the pressure was Leonard’s hand taking his pulse. He found himself leaning slightly into the touch as he was hypnotised by those eyes. They were a rich hazel, greens, blues and browns mixing into each other with flecks of gold appearing where the light hit.

“I'm well,” he said breathlessly. Leonard continued to look at him with concern so Khan worked to pull himself together. He cleared his throat and took a small step away from the other man. It wasn’t much but it seemed to convince Leonard that he could remove his hand. The doctor continued to watch him for a few moments before smiling softly.

“Why don’t you go lie down for a bit and then I’ll call you when dinner gets here?”

Khan nodded than moved towards his designated room. He wasn’t sure what was wrong with him but he was glad to be given the space to regain his control. He settled on the bed but he wasn’t sure whether he should actually allow himself to sleep. He decided to just close his eyes and listen to the sounds of Leonard reacquainting himself with his space. The noise was oddly soothing and he soon fell asleep curled up in the middle of the bed.

 

 

Leonard was loathed to wake Khan as he looked so peaceful but the man needed to eat. He decided that the best way to do it was probably just to call the augment’s name from the door – he wasn’t going to risk getting his arm broken by shaking the guy.

“Khan,” he called softly. “Dinner’s here; you need food.”

The dark haired man blinked slowly then zeroed in on the doctor. Leonard smiled at him and was surprised to be granted a small upturned of his lips in return. It made Leonard feel lighter and he chuckled softly at the thought as he turned from the room.

“Come on,” he said. “We really don’t want this to get cold.”

 

Dinner was an oddly quiet affair. Strangely, the silence wasn’t monumentally awkward, rather, it was comforting. They spoke of inconsequential things, such as how Earth’s transport had improved, or the change in materials for clothes. Basically, they stuck to safe topics that neither of them had a real interest in but meant that nothing would be said that could disrupt their delicate balance.

“Okay,” Leonard said once Khan had assisted him in tidying up dinner, “We need to probably outline all the topics that we aren’t going to touch.”

“And why would we need to do that?” Khan asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly while using a bored tone. It earned him a swat on the arm that would have been slightly painful for a lesser man but he only registered it as a gentle, and brief, press of warm skin.

“So that we don’t end up with any hurt feelings. Look, the only way that you are going to stay free is if we get along. This has to work. For your sake more than mine.”

Khan was touched by the care the doctor was showing for him and had to bow his head to hide how much. “What do you suggest we ignore then?” he asked meekly. Leonard gave him a soft smile before answering. It appeared he had already thought about this.

“Firstly, we’re going to ignore your past. Whatever happened to you when you were last on Earth doesn’t matter to me; it was a different time. Unless you want to tell me or it becomes crucial for me to know something, we live in the here and now. Second, my premonition. What I saw isn’t going to happen now, I'm positive of that, so it is not going to affect how I see or work with you. Third, I retain the right not to answer questions about my gift. You can ask, but I don’t have to answer. So I guess that isn’t really a topic we’re ignoring but I might as well bring it up now. Oh, and if I tell you to do something, you do it.”

“You expect complete obedience from me?” Khan asked, a flare of anger suddenly in his chest.

“No, but if you listen to me, we’re less likely to get in trouble. As a doctor, especially as a CMO, I expect my orders to obeyed or else risk disaster. I only tend to order about my staff and my captain, and occasionally the rest of the crew. Anyone will tell you that I only give orders when they need to be obeyed. So, just trust me to only order you when it’s in your best interest.”

Khan looked at the man before him contemplatively. He hadn’t trusted anyone in a long time and he wasn’t sure that he was ready to trust again. But, there was something about Leonard McCoy that made a part of him believe that trust was going to come about relatively easily.

“Very well. I’ll trust you,” he finally answered, and again felt inordinately pleased that he had made this man smile. “May I ask though what will become of my crew once they have been obtained?”

“I'm not sure,” Leonard answered, a frown appearing on his face. Khan had the sudden urge to smooth it away with his fingers so he had to clench his fist.

“They should not be woken,” Khan said without thinking. Leonard looked at him in shock and asked why. Khan thought it over quickly and realised that it was the right decision.

“I do not believe that they would accept the transition smoothly. It could lead to problems that are best diverted by keeping them in their cryogenic status.”

“Are you sure?” Leonard asked softly, worry clear in his beautifully expressive eyes. Khan nodded and was given a small smile of reassurance. He sighed, unsure of what to say now but Leonard soon ended the silence.

“Well, the shuttle’s going to be here early tomorrow so let’s just go to bed. I'm beat and could use some good sleep. You can have the bathroom first, towel’s on the rail.”

Khan nodded again and felt the desire to shower. He hadn’t truly rested since he escaped Marcus’ clutches so he was looking forward to this first night of relaxation. Both men got ready for bed in silence but Leonard stopped by Khan’s open door as he was leaving the bathroom. Khan had laid down when he sensed the other man. He raised his head but couldn’t bring himself to sit up.

“Leonard?” he asked. The doctor smiled softly at him for a few moments before ducking his head. He raised it again, said “Goodnight Khan,” then left for his own room, closing the door as he went. Khan found his behaviour somewhat puzzling but sleep pulled him under before he could begin analysing it. He dreamed of hazel eyes sparkling with gold and smiles bright enough to make stars seem dull.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“I'm bored.”

Khan looked up from the computer terminal to see Leonard sitting on one of the desks, legs swinging as he read through something on a PADD. They had been going through Section 31’s servers for two days now, obtaining all of the useful information for Starfleet. Or rather, Khan had been doing that for the past two days. Leonard had mainly sat and watched him. Khan had managed to see how fantastic the man was as a doctor after several ex-Section 31 employees started a firefight, which they lost spectacularly even though Khan hadn’t been allowed to become involved. Leonard had patched up both sides efficiently with impressive skill but it seemed medical equipment was the only technology he could work wonders with. He was competent on a PADD and apparently had a strong grasp of flight protocol and manoeuvres – which Khan found odd seeing as the man hated flying but Leonard had told him that he had no problem with the theory, it was the practical that freaked him out – but he didn’t have the skills needed to find the information Pike had them looking for. So Khan was doing most of the work while Leonard read the pieces that Khan sent him to keep him entertained as he watched the augment. Khan honestly couldn’t say that he minded. He was enjoying the work immensely though he did feel a pang about being kept from sunlight again.

“Let’s get out of here.” Leonard said suddenly again. “You need a break and I want ice cream so let’s go to that little parlour across the street.”

“I need to do this work,” Khan said stiffly but when Leonard slid off the desk to stand in front of him, he knew that he was going to give in.

“Please,” Leonard asked, his Georgian accent slipping in to make Khan melt. Khan both loved and hated his natural accent; it was pure temptation and he had to fight every time not to visibly shiver.

“Fine,” Khan said shortly, but couldn’t stay annoyed when Leonard just grinned at him. He let out a put upon sigh but followed the other man out of the building and over to the small café. There weren’t many people about so they bought their ice cream quickly then moved to sit in the small park, side by side on one on the benches watching the people who passed by. The silence between them had long since become comfortable and Khan took the time to openly watch the doctor. His brown hair was artistically scruffy and his skin was beginning to golden from being back in sunlight every day. Khan had found that it wasn’t just that man’s eyes that captivated his attention though; his hands did too. He had noticed them that first night during dinner. They had wielded the chopsticks perfectly, as if the utensils were an extension of his fingers. And what fascinating fingers they were. They were long and skilled, almost constantly in some sort of movement as if, if they stopped moving, they’d stop working. Leonard took to drumming his fingers on any available surface, twiddling some sort of instrument (usually medical) or swiping across his PADD, even though it was obvious he wasn’t really paying attention to what he was doing on it.

Khan shook himself out of his thoughts when he finally noticed that Leonard was looking at him, a bemused look on his face.

“Enjoying the view?” he asked, an eyebrow raised but voice neutral. Khan wasn’t sure how he was supposed to answer and probably would have started stammering ( _And when did I become so flawed?_ ) if he hadn’t noticed the glint in Leonard’s eyes. It was the glint that appeared whenever the man was teasing and Khan decided that this time he wasn’t just going to take it.

“There’s none better,” he answered seriously, and felt completely satisfied when Leonard lost his cool, a shocked expression covering his face before the doctor turned away to hide his rising blush. Khan wasn’t prepared for the clench in his stomach at the sight of an embarrassed Leonard McCoy and part off him instantly decided that he had to make the other man look like that as much as possible.

“You ready to head back?” Khan asked, glad that his voice came out steady. Leonard merely nodded and followed him silently back to the room of Section 31 that they had claimed as theirs to use.

 

They worked steadily for another few hours, only exchanging a few words, and when Leonard next looked up from what he was reading, he saw that Khan was deeply involved in whatever he had uncovered. Leonard just stared at him for a while, noting that he fit Leonard’s type (in men, anyway) to the tee. He was tall, attractive and dark haired, with a beyond impressive intellect, and he seemed to actually enjoy bantering with Leonard. Leonard tried to shove these thoughts to the back of his mind but they just wouldn’t stay there. He tried to focus on something else but the man across the room from him. A buzz of voices caught his attention so he closed his eyes to listen to them. They sounded like they were coming from a long way away, and Leonard gasped as he realised that he was being pulled into a premonition. He screwed his eyes shut tight as his surroundings became black and a spinning sensation overcame him. He was soon lost in the sounds of the future and he struggled to draw breath as he listened to his own voice swirling around him.

_"I can’t move, you’ve got to go!"_

_"I'm sorry, so sorry!"_

_"I tried, I tried!"_

“Leonard! Leonard!”

Leonard came back to the sound of his name being shouted. He opened his eyes slowly and looked up to see Khan hovering over him, worry clear on his face.

“’m 'kay,” Leonard murmured, pleased when Khan visibly relaxed at his words. He accepted the hand stretched down to him and allowed Khan to pull him up into a sitting position. He wasn’t really surprised that the augment hadn’t moved him off the desk he’d been seated on – they’d had a discussion the other afternoon on simple medical mistakes people made, believing that they were administrating first aid – but he was intrigued to find that this position placed him at the same height as the other man. Usually, Leonard was a few inches shorter, but now, seated on the desk with Khan standing by his legs, he could look directly into those blue-grey eyes. He gave Khan a weak smile and repeated his words. “I’m okay.”

“What happened?” Khan asked, worry still tinging his voice. “I heard a thump and looked over to find that you had collapsed.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t control my premonitions; usually I keep my balance though.” Leonard kept his voice light, trying to reassure Khan as much as possible. Khan still seemed concerned so, without pausing to think, Leonard took his hand in both of his and held it tight.

“I'm sorry I worried you,” he said softly, running his fingers up and down the back of Khan’s hand. “I really am fine.”

“Are you sure?” Khan asked but his voice wavered slightly, enraptured by the sensations Leonard was creating in his body by holding his hand. Leonard nodded and Khan raised his eyes from their hands to the doctor’s eyes. The colours seemed deeper in this light but the gold flecks still shone bright. Khan lifted his free hand to cup Leonard’s cheek and the other man leaned into his touch, never letting his eyes lose Khan’s. The air was now thick with tension but neither wanted to risk breaking it.

“Tell me about your premonition?” Khan asked softly.

“Of course,” Leonard replied, voice just as low. “It was my voice. I was practically begging with someone to leave me, to forgive me. I don’t know who I was talking to but I felt so scared, for them more than myself.”

Khan hushed him and began stroking Leonard’s cheek with his thumb. Leonard closed his eyes, leaning further into the touch. Khan didn’t know what to make of the situation. He had been so scared by Leonard’s actions and now he felt the undeniable urge to comfort him and promise to keep him safe from what he foresaw.

The spell that had woven itself around them was suddenly broken by the harsh sound of Leonard’s comm going off. Khan quickly dropped his hand from Leonard’s cheek and tried to ignore the small flicker of hurt that caused to appear in the doctor’s eyes. Leonard just sighed but didn’t release Khan’s hand. The augment just watched as Leonard moved to hold Khan’s hand in only one of his one and used the other to answer his comm.

“McCoy.”

Pike’s voice began filtering through and Khan focused on his words rather than dwell on why Leonard hadn’t let him go.

“McCoy, great news. We’ve gathered more than enough evidence against Marcus and the trial is set for tomorrow. I need you to get the next shuttle back here. Neither you or Khan will need to speak in the trial but we do need you to sit in. All admirals will be there, as well as all the captains that are Earth-side, with their respective First Officers.”

“So Jim and Spock will be there?”

“Yeah, but I’d rather you didn’t inform them of what the trial is about beforehand.”

“No problem. Khan and I will get the shuttle back and then hide in my apartment until it’s time.”

“All right. I feel I should also warn you – though I’ve been requested not to, but it wasn’t an order so I'm not going to listen – that at the end of the trial, we will be deciding the fate of Khan and the other augments.”

Leonard and Khan exchanged looks and Khan thought about what this could mean for him. He had grown attached to Leonard and truly didn’t want to be parted from him. The expression on the doctor’s face told him that he felt the same way. Khan gestured to the comm Leonard held it closer to him so that he could speak into it.

“Admiral Pike, may I say something?”

“Go ahead, Khan.”

“I have already discussed the fate of my people with Leonard and I believe that it would be best if they were not woken. They would not take as well to your world as I have. I ask that you don’t kill them, merely let them slumber in safety somewhere, where no one will disturb them.”

“I’ll take your words to the other admirals and we will consider them. Trust me though, we don’t want any deaths on our hands.”

“Thank you Pike. And in regards to my fate, may I ask that I am at least given an appropriate amount of time to say goodbye to Leonard?” Khan didn’t dare look at Leonard as he made this request and instead focused on their joined hands. He squeezed Leonard’s gently and couldn’t help the small smile that leaked onto his face when the pressure was returned.

“Well, Khan,” Pike’s voice said slowly, “We haven’t really decided what to do with you yet but I promise, if you are forced to leave Leonard, you will be allowed to say goodbye properly. I’ll see you two tomorrow. Pike out.”

“Bye Chris,” Leonard answered quietly, and ended the call. Placing the comm back in his pocket, he kept his eyes down. He was touched by Khan’s request to say goodbye to him but, if he was honest with himself, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to cope with the augment’s leaving.

“Leonard?” Khan questioned gently. When he didn’t look up, Khan gently lifted his chin. The hazel eyes were drowning with emotions that Khan wasn’t sure how to deal with. He was overwhelmed by his own feelings as well but he had to do something to help Leonard. The doctor had become the most important thing to him and he just wanted him to smile again. So, he slowly stepped as close to Leonard as he could, never looking away from those bright eyes. When they were close enough to touch, Khan titled his head slightly and pressed his lips to Leonard. It was thrilling in a way nothing had ever been before and when Leonard leaned into him to continue the kiss, everything around them just seemed to fade. All either of them could focus on was the feeling of lips on lips. It was a chaste, close-mouth kiss but it was perfect for the moment. When they slowly moved apart to rest their foreheads together, all they could do was smile softly at each other.

“You can’t leave me,” Leonard whispered, voice so quiet that Khan needed his enhanced senses to hear it.

“I won’t,” he promised, swearing that he would do whatever it took to keep that promise. “We should go get a shuttle.”

“Okay,” Leonard agreed quietly, and let Khan help him slide from the table. Together they headed for Section 31’s shuttle bay to get a ride back to San Francisco. No one noticed that they walked with barely any space between them and that their hands were tightly twined together. They were determined that they were going to hang onto each other for as long as possible, and so weren’t going to risk being separated for even a minute. They were both aware that ‘as long as possible’ may only be a few more hours but instead of concentrating on that, they spent their time together sharing as much about themselves as they could.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for this being up later than I had planned but I lost my muse and then when I went to write more for this chapter I decided that I wanted to end it here. I have no idea when the final part will be done so you'll just have to wit and see. I promise, it will be action packed.

Khan stood straight and still as the admirals’ decision settled in his mind. **He was being assigned to the _Enterprise_ on probation!** He couldn’t believe his luck. He looked to the man beside him and amended his previous thought: he couldn’t believe **their** luck. Leonard turned to catch his eyes, and Khan saw the shock in them, as well as the unbelievable joy. Leonard smiled hesitatingly and Khan returned it along with taking the doctor’s hand in his. Leonard clutched his fingers tightly, as if he was afraid that if he let go then the admirals would change their mind. Khan focused back on the admirals and realised that they had called an end to the trial and that everyone was leaving.

“Come on,” he told Leonard, and used their joined hands to drag the other man out of the room. He pulled them into the next clear corridor and pushed Leonard up against the wall before resting their foreheads together.

“It’s okay,” Leonard murmured, carding a hand through the dark locks in front of him. “We’re together. They aren’t separating us.”

“I never considered that they might let me go,” Khan admitted softly. He had thought that Starfleet would simply swallow him back up and hide him away from the world; away from Leonard.

“I think we probably owe Pike a huge thank you.”

Thinking about it, Khan knew that Leonard was right. Pike was the only one of the admirals to have had any contact with him, and it wouldn’t have been hard for the man to figure out that he had gotten close to Leonard while they were working, especially given Khan’s ‘last request’. He let out a sigh and felt Leonard echo him. Feeling relieved from the outcome of the trial (Marcus had been completely pulled apart by the admiralty) and euphoric at the idea of staying with Leonard, he quickly brought their lips together in a fierce kiss. Leonard responded instantly with plenty of enthusiasm. They didn’t think about how they were in a public corridor and that there were dozens of people walking by as they left the trial. Instead, they focused completely on each other, tongues twining together as they fought to learn every inch of the mouth that was not their own. Neither knew when their eyes had closed, only that they flew open at the sound of a throat clearing beside them. They pulled apart just far enough to see who had interrupted them and Leonard knew that he was suddenly blushing. Pike was standing with his arms crossed and a knowing smirk on his face next to a clearly confused Jim who had Spock on his other side with both eyebrows raised. Leonard would be feeling satisfied at having successfully thrown the Vulcan but he was too embarrassed by the look on his best friend’s face. Jim seemed to be fighting horror and amusement but obviously couldn’t figure out an explanation for why his CMO was making out with a possibly dangerous augment, who had been assigned to **his** ship, in public.

“Um…Bones? Explain?” he asked uncertainly. Leonard moved his attention back to Khan who nodded and stepped away from him. Leonard didn’t let him go far though; he took the taller man’s hand and then tugged him along towards the other three men. Pike was still wearing that smirk, Spock hadn’t lowered his eyebrows and Jim looked like him might explode if he didn’t receive an explanation soon.

“How about we all go to lunch and talk about this?” Leonard asked, already heading towards the nearest exit, Khan right beside him, their hands tight around each other’s. Jim nodded mutely so the five of them headed out into the San Franciscan sunshine to find somewhere to eat.

 

“So you two are dating?” Jim asked as he took a bite of his apple. He had easily accepted the story of what Leonard had been doing for the last few days and wasn’t the least bit resentful that he hadn’t been told the truth. He knew the Leonard would have told him eventually and understood that until everything was worked out, it was best that as few people were involved as possible. What he didn’t understand though, was how the situation had ended in him coming across his best friend pressed up against a wall as the threat he had foreseen ravished his mouth. Leonard and Khan exchanged an uneasy look at his question. They weren’t really sure what they were doing, just that it felt right.

“No,” Leonard answered slowly, never taking his eyes from Khan. “I'm honestly not sure…what to call it. But I don’t want it to stop.” Khan nodded his agreement and picked up Leonard’s hand to place a kiss on his palm. The doctor blushed lightly but his smile was bright and honest which told Jim all he needed to know.

“Well then, Khan, as Bones’ best friend it is my place to tell you that if you hurt him, I have a star ship and will use it to make sure your body is never found.”

“Captain, I must say that that is a misuse of your position,” Spock began but had to pause to hold up a hand and prevent Jim from beginning to rant at him. “However,” he continued, turning his gaze from his captain to Khan, “If you hurt Doctor McCoy, the strength of Vulcans is far superior to humans so I would not rely on your enhancements to truly protect you.”

Khan nodded his understanding of their threats but Leonard just gaped in shock. “Spock,” he said, “Did you just defend me?”

“Affirmative.”

“I thought so.” Leonard took a deep breath and leaned back against Khan. The augment was quick to wrap his arms around him and look at him in concern. Leonard smiled assuredly, showing that he was fine, just surprised. Khan nodded again, relaxing under the feeling of having Leonard pressed against his chest. Pike had been had watched the proceedings with silent mirth but now decided to change the subject. Khan and Leonard didn’t need Jim prying into what they were starting just yet.

“So Jim, do you know where you’re gonna head first, now that your captaincy of the _Enterprise_ has been approved?”

They spent the rest of the afternoon sitting around that table, discussing all the places and things they were going to do when they left Earth in a few days. Khan stayed mainly silent, preferring to watch how Leonard interacted with Jim and Spock. They seemed like the perfect trio to control such a young and untested crew and Khan could see the pride in Pike’s eyes as he too watched the interaction. At one point, the two of them made eye contact and silently communicated that Khan was to look out for all three of them. He was more than prepared to protect Leonard with his life but he would also do the same for Jim and Spock as they were clearly important to his…(lover?) doctor. As evening drew in, Leonard and Khan made their goodbyes and retired to Leonard’s apartment, where the doctor proved that he was not just an incredible surgeon but an excellent cook. Khan tried to help as much as possible but his efforts seemed to mainly result in Leonard laughing so he stepped back. He ended up enjoying watching Leonard cook so much more than helping him but he still ask that at some point the other man teach so that he wouldn’t be useless. They spent the end of the day relaxing with great food and a seemingly endless range of conversation topics. Khan couldn’t remember ever spending time like this and made a tiny prayer that this was only the beginning. When Leonard began yawning more than talking, they decided it was time for bed. But as Khan was about to enter his room, the soft sound of Leonard’s voice stopped him.

“Stay with me.”

Khan turned to stare at the other man and found him resting against the door of his own room, a gentle but certain expression on his face. In this light, even with his superior eyesight, all Khan could see of his eyes were the bright golden sparks that reminded him of stars shining on the inky surface of the space. Khan’s steps towards him were slow but he still barely registered moving and he was soon in front of the man that had become his everything in a matter of days. Leonard now graced him with his fondest and softest smile yet; Khan was hesitant to call it loving but he wouldn’t be able to delude himself for much longer. Leonard took his hand and used it to pull him into the dark room and down onto the bed beside him. They were both dressed only in pyjama pants so when Leonard moved as close to him as possible, their bare chests brushed and Khan couldn’t stop the shudder. Leonard’s lips quirked into a quick smirk but they softened as he learned up slowly to stroke them against Khan’s. They resisted the urge to deepen the kiss, keeping it light so as not to change the mood. Tonight was about being as close as possible before bringing such intimacy into it. They didn’t want to rush whatever this was and leaving Earth would surely bring challenges that needed to be faced first. So the kiss ended as softly as it started and they fell asleep. They were pressed close though, arms and legs tangled together so that they didn’t part during the night. They may not be able to explain what they were doing and feeling but it was stronger than anything either had felt before so both of them unknowingly agreed in hidden corners of their minds that this wasn’t going to end; that this was forever.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

_It was hard to breathe, that was the first thing he registered._

_Everything was dark and there was no air._

_He wasn’t alone though._

_“Please, please wake up. Leonard please!”_

 

Leonard woke up and his eyes instantly sort out the man beside him. Khan was still soundly asleep and Leonard couldn’t stop the sigh of relief falling from his mouth. He slowly brought his hand up to gently sweep across the augment’s chest, stopping when his fingers found the small flutter of a resting heartbeat. He took a deep breath and settled more firmly against the other. Khan didn’t wake, but unconsciously his arms tightened their hold. Leonard didn’t fall back to sleep for a long time, his mind racing as it contemplated the premonition. He was sure that it preceded the one he had in London so that meant that the person he had been pleading with in that premonition had to be Khan. He was scared now for their future, remembering the pain he had felt in that dark and enclosed space. He wondered whether he should tell Khan what he had learnt of the path they were taking but decided against it. He didn’t want to worry him. Just as dawn began breaking, bringing the first tendrils of light to the city, Leonard finally slipped back into an uneasy sleep, tormented by his vision of what was to come.

 

Khan woke when the sun reached an acceptable height in the sky for people to begin their days. The first thing he did was look fondly upon his bed mate but he soon began frowning as he noticed the furrow of Leonard’s eyebrows and the other obvious signs of unrest. The doctor was clearly caught up in some bad dream and Khan’s first thought was to wake him. He gently shook the other man, remembering how long time had felt when he was trying to rouse him from his premonition. That instantly made him question whether this was an actual dream the doctor was having or another look into the future. He began calling Leonard’s name as he shook him and eventually hazel eyes open to stare up at him wearily.

“Mornin’,” Leonard said, his voice heavy with sleep and accent. Khan smiled affectionately down at him, running his hand through the short brunette hair. Leonard leaned into his touch, his eyes drifting closed again.

“Why did ya wake me?”

“You looked like you needed it. Dream or premonition?”

Leonard inwardly cursed the augment’s ability to read him and knew that he wouldn’t get away with a lie. Not that he wanted to lie to him, just that he wanted to keep him safe from worry.

“Premonition.”

“Will you tell me?”

Leonard looked up quickly at the question. Khan was staring down at him, his eyes revealing his curiosity but also that it stemmed from concern for Leonard. The doctor was so touched that he forwent answering and dragged the man’s head down to kiss him soundly. Khan moaned as a tongue invaded his mouth and he rolled to push Leonard down firmly into the bed underneath him. Their mouths parted with the need to breathe but the shorter man quickly moved to place nipping kisses across his partner’s jaw, causing more of those intoxicating moans. He whined when Khan pulled away and he knew that he was pouting up at him. Khan just smirked at him and rested more of his weight on him.

“I really want to continue this but I need an answer first.”

“Why?” Leonard whined. “It’ll ruin the mood.”

“All the more reason for you to tell me then.”

Leonard huffed but Khan was looking down at him with such care that he gave him and told him what he had foreseen that night and heard back in London, concluding with what he thought it meant.

“We’re going to get trapped somewhere, somewhere dark and almost airless and I'm going to be in pain and you won’t be able to do anything.”

Khan rolled off of him and turned to sit with his back to Leonard, who sighed and sat up as well.

“I said it would ruin the mood,” he said, trying to lighten the tension in the room but Khan didn’t respond. Leonard stared at the tense shoulders for a few moments before scooting closer and pressing himself up against Khan’s back, as close as possible. He wrapped his arms tightly around the augment’s chest and his fingers began softly stroking the smooth, pale expanse of skin. He was glad when Khan relaxed back against him and brought his own hands up to cover Leonard’s without stopping their movement.

“I'm okay. I'm right here,” Leonard crooned soothingly.

“But for how long?” Khan’s voice was quiet and tight, showing that he was struggling to hold his emotions in.

“It is only part of the future, and it may not even happen.”

“And if it does?”

“Then there is still no proof that we don’t get out of it. All I foresaw was my pain at that moment. Just because you won’t be in a position to help me, doesn’t mean others won’t. So please, can you just stop worrying and look at me? I'm here, now. Be here too?”

Khan sighed and moved to face Leonard without breaking the circle of his arms so the doctor’s hands ended up linked at the small of his back. Leonard smiled up at him and Khan felt a sudden rush of desperation which caused him to surge forward and capture those cupid bow lips. Leonard instantly relaxed into the onslaught and allowed himself to be manoeuvred back under Khan’s body. The enhanced man began touching/kissing/biting every inch of skin he could reach and soon had the body beneath him writhing and whimpering.

“Please,” Leonard begged, and who was Khan to deny him? Especially when his voice took on that particularly needy tone.

 

 

Hours later they got out of bed to replenish their energy with food and had barely settled to eat when Leonard’s comm went off.

“Jim,” he whispered to Khan as he answered with a bored “yeah”. Khan grinned and tilted his head to listen in. Leonard rolled his eyes at his actions but stilled returned the grin.

“Bones!” Jim’s voice was high and excited which caused Leonard to worry about how much sugar the kid had already ingested today.

“What is it kid?” he asked wearily.

“Great news! We’re heading out early! Get packed because the stars are calling and we’re to be off planet by nightfall.”

“WHAT?” Leonard shouted and then shot Khan an apologetic look for his loudness had caused the augment to wince slightly at the unexpected rise in noise level.

“Calm down Bones. Don’t you want to be back in your Sickbay?”

“Well, yeah, but…”

“No buts! Pack Khan up and meet me at the transporter in 30.”

“Wait, Jim-” Leonard tried to say but Jim had already ended the call. Leonard looked despairingly at the comm for a few minutes, as if it would suddenly start ringing again to answer his questions, before throwing it onto the table in defeat. Khan grinned at him, his amusement evident, and was treated to a slap on the shoulder and a muttered “Hush you”. They quickly finished their late morning meal and then began gathering things from the apartment. Leonard hadn’t really unpacked when he came back so it was merely an act of gathering up what he had removed from his duffle and returning it. Khan didn’t have any possessions but the clothes Starfleet had given him so he placed them in Leonard’s bag and then tidied up the apartment while Leonard made sure he had every piece of his personal med kit. It didn’t take them long and they were soon walking into the transporter room to find Jim and Spock waiting for them.

“’Bout time guys? What was the holdup?” Jim asked, his voice still full of excitement. Leonard didn’t bother to answer him, just nodded at Spock and moved over to the transporter. Jim turned to Khan to silently repeat the gesture but the augment just shrugged and joined Leonard. Jim huffed, unhappy at having been annoyed but he quickly shoved it away at the joy of returning to his ship. He couldn’t wait to get back to the stars, positive that they were going to have an incredible time.

“Well then,” he said, “As we’re all here, let’s go! To _Enterprise_!” Leonard rolled his eyes at his antics but allowed his captain to clap him cheerily on the shoulder as they positioned themselves on the transporter. When he felt a hand enclose his, he looked up to find Khan beside him, staring down at him.

“I believe you hate these things,” Khan said as explanation and Leonard smiled at him gratefully, squeezing his hand. Yes, transporters scared him nearly as much as shuttles but at least they were quick. Having Khan right there by him though made the whole experience even better. He felt almost safe. As the machine began its quite purr, signalling that it was powering up, Leonard closed his eyes and focused on the strong grip Khan had on his hand, concentrating on the warmth created where they touched and the odd softness of the skin under his fingertips. When the lights began swarming around them, he was the calmest he had ever been in this situation and knew that it was all thanks to the man beside him.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Khan privately thanked any and all deities for Jim Kirk’s ability to be sensible but at the same time find a way to tease his best friend. Leonard was obviously unsure how to feel about Jim placing Khan in his quarters with him but Khan didn’t let that bother him. They could both see the sense in it: Khan wasn’t known to the crew so it was safest to place him in with someone he trusted, and they both knew that Khan would probably spend most nights here anyway. Jim had known these things too which was why he hadn’t bothered to assign Khan to any other room. Unfortunately, they were only really beginning to work out what was between them so if it went wrong – as Leonard was most likely worrying about right now – then they would be stuck together. Khan quite liked that Jim had automatically assumed that they were going to be sticking with each other but he knew that Leonard was annoyed by this. Not that the doctor wasn’t devoted to him already, he just didn’t like people to assume things about him. Khan knew that it stemmed from his parents assuming that he was perfectly happy with Jocelyn Darnell which had led to Leonard feeling like he had to propose. As this had resulted in an unhappy marriage and then a messy divorce, Khan couldn’t fault him for hating pressurising assumptions.

“I can always sleep on the sofa,” Khan suggested, his tone not quite teasing but it was enough to make Leonard turn to him and smile.

“I’d rather have you next to me,” he admitted and Khan walked over to pull him close to his chest. Leonard let out his tension with a sigh and relaxed into the strong embrace, bringing his own arms up to clutch at Khan’s back.

“Then that’s where I’ll be,” Khan said confidently. He felt that he could just stand there with Leonard in his arms forever but they were interrupted by Jim just letting himself into the room and making an odd noise, a mix between a cough and a shriek. Leonard sighed and simply said “You’re gonna have to learn to knock,” as he slowly extracted himself from the embrace. Khan reluctantly let him go but couldn’t help catching a hold of one of his talented hands and placing a soft kiss on the back of it, pleased when it resulted in a light blush appearing on Leonard’s cheeks. Jim laughed at his friend’s expression and so didn’t manage to avoid the slap on the back of his head.

“OW! Jesus, Bones, why’d you do that? Whatever, I'm here to inform Khan of his duties aboard _Enterprise_.”

“What section are ya putting him in?” Leonard asked, curious as to what his friend had in store for his… **lover!** (Just thinking the word made is cheeks darken. Luckily, Jim wasn’t facing him but the smug look on Khan’s face told him that the augment knew where his thoughts had taken him.)

“I'm going to rotate him. Have you spend time all over the ship; engineering, science labs, security. I'm going to give you a mix of assignments to see where you’d be best suited. You’d fit pretty much anywhere but I want you to be happy.”

Khan wasn’t sure how he should respond to this decision but Leonard’s smile told him that a better one couldn’t have been made. And he was essentially being given freedom to sample many of the different aspects of Starfleet. He didn’t know where he would be happiest; he loved working in labs but he was also a tactical and engineering genius as well. He had never before thought of his enhanced intelligence as anything but an advantage but now it seemed almost a hardship because it meant that he might not find a place to settle on the _Enterprise_. Some of his thoughts must have shown on his face because suddenly Leonard was in front of him, holding his hands up to his lips and pressing tiny kisses on the knuckles.

“You don’t have to be a perfect fit. The _Enterprise_ ’s greatest point is that her crew are family. You’re a part of that family now, so no worries. Understand?” Khan merely nodded, unable to speak after such a declaration. Jim seemed to realise that it was time for him to leave and so gave a small cough and said “Well, I’ll be going then. I’ll send your first assignment to your PADD, Khan,” before hurrying from the room. Leonard gave a chuckle at his quick exist but immediately returned his attention to Khan’s hands, nibbling at the fingertips which made Khan feel rather confined by his clothes.

“Want to see my bed?” Leonard asked, his tone flirtatious. Khan’s eyes darkened and he grabbed Leonard and pulled him into the bedroom of the CMO quarters – **their** quarters. He had many ideas for getting acquainted with this new space.

 

 

The first thing Jim did once they had left Earth’s orbit and were safely at warp to locations unknown, was call a meeting of his command team in his ready room. Uhura entered sedately with Spock, Sulu and Chekov not far behind them but with far more enthusiasm. Leonard came in with Lieutenant Commander Giotto, his Chief of Security, not long afterwards and Scotty ran in with seconds to spare before he was classed as late. Jim grinned at each of them, pleased when he got a smile in return from all but Spock and Giotto; the former didn’t appear to have ever really been taught about smiling and the latter liked to act responsible at these types of gatherings so Jim didn’t begrudge either of them (except maybe Spock a little bit).

“Welcome back aboard my faithful minions,” Jim greeted them, causing Leonard to sigh, Uhura to roll her eyes and Chekov to chuckle.

“I’ll get straight to business,” Jim began and Leonard interrupted with a muttered “That’s a first.” Jim mocked glared at him but it only resulted in a raised eyebrow so he turned from his best friend with a put-upon sigh.

“The most important bit of news is that we have a new crew member.”

Everyone but Spock and Leonard looked intrigued at the news but it was Chekov that spoke up.

“Who is it Keptin?”

Jim turned his grin on full force and looked right at his best friend. As he’d known would happen, the heads of the others turned to follow his gaze, confusion now in their eyes. Leonard just looked at the ceiling but Jim could guess that he was silently cursing him.

“Well, Bones, do you want the honours?” Leonard now scowled at him which only made him grin wider. “I guess not. So I’ll tell you. Our new crew member is Bones’ new lover.” Everyone at the table, bar Spock, looked at Leonard with a mix of emotions: shock, amusement, disbelief, amazement and concern were just some of them. Uhura was the first to speak, and she pointedly ignored Jim to question Leonard.

“You met someone?”

“Yeah, I did,” Leonard replied gruffly but when he looked around all the curious expressions he knew that he wasn’t going to just be let off the hook. “Do I have to tell you everything?”

“Yes!” came the unanimous response so Leonard sighed before starting. He and Jim had already decided with Khan that they would expand on the story Leonard had first used to dispel Jim’s questions.

“His name is Khan…” but before he could go any further there were a few intakes of breath and wide eyes. Leonard shook his head and felt the need to say “Yes, I'm seeing a guy, can I continue now?” in a blunt tone. There was a round of head nodding so he began again.

“His name is Khan and he was working for Starfleet’s London base. I was sent with him to observe the recovery of medical data from Section 31.” It wasn’t far from the truth so he didn’t feel so bad about not telling them the whole truth. There was also the fact that he would do anything to protect Khan. “We just kind of clicked and that is it.”

“But how come he’s now here? Did he transfer for you or something?” Sulu asked and Jim decided it was time for him to take control again.

“Pike assigned him to the _Enterprise_. His skills are no longer needed in London and, as he is a genius, Pike thought he’d fit right in here. His relationship with Bones may have been part of why Pike made the decision but it has more to do with wanting to use his brain and it’ll be put to much better use out here. Any other questions?”

“Just one laddie, where’s the man being placed?” Scotty asked, and his curiosity was echoed around the room.

“I'm going to be trying him out all over the ship; he has a vast range of skills but I wanted to find the perfect fit for him.” His decision was met by nods and he smiled at the easy acceptance of his crew. “Well, that’s actually all I had to tell you. So, spread the news, make sure he’s welcome and remember that he’s dating Bones; that means that if anyone doesn’t play nice, they are likely to get viciously hypoed. Now get back to work the lot of ya.” The room emptied to the sound of laughter and soon it was just Jim, Spock and Leonard.

“So, have you two worked out your differences?” Leonard asked frankly, leaning back in his chair to rest more comfortably and fixing them with a gaze that clearly said that he wasn’t prepared to take any nonsense.

“I believe so, Doctor,” Spock answered, turning to Jim as he continued speaking. “I am sorry that you felt my following of protocol was an act against you; I truly did not mean for it to be. I understand that you will not just sit back and watch someone you consider a friend die and I am grateful that you consider me as such.”

Jim didn’t really know what to say to that so just mumbled a quiet “thank you” and looked down at his hands. Leonard grinned at how bashful his friend had become.

“Well I have to get back to Sickbay. I’ll see you two later; Jim I want you there in no more two hours for your check up.” He clapped Spock’s shoulder as he passed and squeezed Jim’s which seemed to perk him up. He left the two of them in there and head for what passed as his territory on the _Enterprise_.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sincerest apologies for how long I left this. I lost all motivation, then went away, then when I started writing again there was no internet which I realised I needed as I had no saved version of the other chapters. It wasn't as action packed as I first planned and is shorter than the other chapters but I just really wanted this finished so please enjoy.

He honestly had never felt so at home. Life on the _Enterprise_ had so quickly become normal that Khan found that he often forgot that he wasn’t from this time and that Marcus had tried to use him to start a war. He soon only thought about those things when he was left alone but that was rare. Jim found plenty of things for him to do all over the ship so he met so many different crewmembers who then came up to him later when he was alone, and Leonard spent as much time with him as possible by taking lunch and other breaks together, and they always had the nights wrapped in each other’s arms. He couldn’t have been happier so he really should have expected it not to last.

They had been circling an uninhabited planet for a few days, trying to gather as much data on it before sending a landing party down but the unstable magnetic fields around the planet were confusing their scanners. In the end, Jim decided to just take a team down in a shuttle as the basic readings were all positive. Leonard had rolled his eyes at Jim’s decision, having foreseen it without using his gift – it was just who Jim was. Jim, of course, had wanted to go down and Spock had also expressed an interest in having a first-hand experience with the planet. Leonard had refused to let the two of them go without him, stating that they’d get need his medical expertise whether he came or not so he might as well go. And that was how Khan found himself holding Leonard’s hand on a shuttle down to the planet to keep him calm as there was no way he was being left behind. There were four security officers with them as well but Khan didn’t pay them any attention, focused on stroking Leonard’s hand and murmuring reassurances in his ear. As Jim landed the shuttle, Leonard squeezed his hand tight and caught his eyes to mouth a silent ‘Thank you’. Khan accepted it with a nod and a return squeeze. The group exited the shuttle cautiously, well-aware of protocol on an unknown planet.

“Getting any better readings down here?” Jim asked Spock, who was carrying a handhold scanner, and trying to acquire the data that they’d been unable to get aboard _Enterprise_.

“Negative Captain,” Spock replied, the tiniest of furrows appearing between his eyebrows to show his displeasure. “It would seem that we will not be able to learn anything about the planet this way.”

“Best do it the old fashioned way then,” Jim said cheerily enough. “Alright people, touch everything!”

“Jim!” Leonard admonished but the younger man only looked sheepish for a moment before relaying appropriate orders. Leonard rolled his eyes and Khan didn’t bother to hide his smile.

“He’s such a child,” Leonard muttered, quiet enough that only Khan could hear him.

“Yes, but you wouldn’t want him any other way,” Khan whispered in his ear from pressed up tight behind him. Leonard gave a shudder at the feeling of Khan’s breath on his ear and Khan had to fight the urge to pull him into a deep kiss – they had work to do.

“Come on,” Leonard said, voicing Khan’s thoughts. “We have work to do and we don’t want to be completely left behind.”

 

They walk for a couple of hours, marvelling at how seamlessly the landscape had shifted from an open and grassy plain to a tightly enclosed forest. Spock pointed out many known species of tree but just as many were unidentifiable. All of the branches twisted together high above their heads, blocking the sky except for tiny gaps through which beams of sunlight burst, creating tiny pools of light on the ground and making the shadows seem darker. It was both beautiful and eerie and Leonard unconsciously slipped his hand into Khan’s. The augment didn’t say anything, just stepped closer so that their shoulders brushed as they walked, for which Leonard was grateful. He didn’t like the feeling the place gave him, almost like… **Déjà vu**! He stopped so suddenly that Khan’s hand slid from his as the taller man kept walking but he was too preoccupied to notice. He knew this place! He hadn’t seen it in his premonition but all of his senses were tingling and at the back of his mind, a tiny part of him was screaming at him to “ _Leave! Goddammit, leave!_ ” Leonard tried to breath but his whole chest felt tight as it remembered the feeling of being trapped in the dark with no air. He was pretty sure someone was calling his name but he couldn’t hear properly; all he could focus on was the darkness and confinement. Sudden pressure on his shoulders and a brush of warmth against his lips shook him from his frozen state. He looked up to see Khan barely an inch from him. When Khan recognised that Leonard’s attention was now on him, he closed the gap and kissed him softly. Leonard pressed into the touch, curling his hands in Khan’s black Starfleet shirt, keeping that hold even when their mouths parted.

“You with me now?” Khan asked quietly, pitching his voice so that only they could hear it. Leonard nodded, swallowing down his fear but he can’t help trying to bury himself closer to Khan’s heart. Khan just lets him, sliding his hands from shoulders to waist and holding him close.

“Tell me,” he pressed, knowing that Leonard’s near-panic attack couldn’t just be ignored like the doctor would try to do.

“You remember my premonition,” Leonard began slowly and Khan nodded in understanding; hearing about what his lover had foreseen had spooked him badly. “Well,” Leonard continued, “It happens here.”

Khan tried to think of what to say to that but all he could do was clutch Leonard closer. He was glad that the others had all moved on, not realising that they had stopped, because he had no idea how he would explain what was going on. He wanted to grab Leonard and get him off the planet as quick as possible but he knew that the doctor wouldn’t allow that in case his actions ended up hurting one of the others.

“What do you want to do?” Khan finally asked, unsure if any answer would truly placate him.

“We need to find the others. Don’t tell them though! Just…can we stay near them, stop them from going in any caves or something?”

“Of course.” Khan gave him a long and deep kiss, before pulling away to use his enhanced senses to pick up the location of Jim, Spock and the security officers. “Okay, they’re this way.” Leonard just nodded and allowed Khan to pull him along. He was still in somewhat of a daze and needed time to find his balance but he trusted Khan to get them where they needed to be and keep them safe while he did so.

 

They caught up with the others where the trees parted to reveal a wall of rock. The stone was dark and foreboding, its composition sending Spock’s scanner into a frenzy. It seemed to go on forever to both their left and their right and its smooth surface left it impossible for them to scale it.

“Look for some sort of opening, a tunnel,” Jim ordered and they split into teams of two to begin searching. Leonard and Khan didn’t try very hard; Leonard was still struggling to calm his mind and Khan was not going to risk the lives of his lover and new family. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop the others. Within twenty minutes, one of the security officers was calling over his comm. to inform them that he and his partner had found the entrance to a cave but it was too dark for them to see if there were any tunnels leading further into the rock. Everyone hurried over to the location and Jim clapped the discoverers encouragingly on the back.

“Well, then,” he said, beaming with the prospect of adventure, “let’s get in there. Everyone pull out your torches.”

“Jim…”Leonard said slowly, unsure how to voice his fears in front of Spock and the others without revealing his gift.

“What is it, Bones?” Jim asked, his tone showing that he was distracted by the cave entrance.

“Is it really a good idea for us to go wandering around in the dark, underneath tonnes of rock, where it’s unlikely that we will have any way of communicating with _Enterprise_ , without, I don’t know, **telling** **someone**?”

Jim seemed to consider this and Leonard was just beginning to believe that he had dissuaded him for a short while when, of all people, **Spock** spoke against his logic.

“We informed _Enterprise_ that we would check-in in four hours of which we still have 3.876 hours before they attempt a rescue. Out feet have left clear imprints in the ground – it is likely this planet experienced a form of precipitation recently to wet the ground – so they will be able to follow us to this point and here they will surely figure out that we have been trapped by the rock. There is little more we can do, except leave a symbol they will recognise in the rock, to further show our intent.”

“That’s settled then,” Jim sad brightly. “We’ll leave a message on the wall – Williams, hand me your knife – and go exploring. Don’t worry, Bones, we’ll be fine.”

Leonard couldn’t argue with him further but the panic of his premonition was creeping up on him thus preventing him from reacting with exasperation and an eye roll when Jim carved _Jim waz ere_ into the rock by the opening. The security officers shared small quirks of the mouth while Spock and Khan were stoically confused by the message. No one questioned in though and they all headed into the darkness, the red-shirted men on point and at the rear, like a guard around the other four. Khan made sure Leonard was on his left with the torch so that he could calm him with a held hand but that his right hand was free for attack – or anything really – if necessary.

 

The cave did have a tunnel leading further in the odd mountain. They found while going around the perimeter of the circular area they had entered. The rock was just as smooth in here as outside and the place felt strangely empty, as if they all realise that **something** should have been there. The tunnel wasn’t very wide but obviously went on for miles, the light of their torches barely making a dent in the darkness that was held within the passageway.

“It is not naturally formed,” Khan said suddenly, and the others turned to see him running his hands over the tunnel entrance.

“He’s correct,” Spock agreed. “This rock has clearly been cut – it is of a different smoothness than the rest of the rock.”

“So what are you saying?” Jim asked, confusion clear in his voice. “That this room is natural but the tunnel isn’t? Someone purposely cut out of or into this area?”

No one could answer his questions and Leonard had to almost physically fight the urge to grab a hold of everyone and force them out. Staring into the darkness of the rock, he could hear it calling out to his senses. There was screaming inside his head but there was nothing he could do to stop it. Someone was going to step into that tunnel – it didn’t matter who now – and they were going to be trapped in the predicament that he foresaw for himself. The question was, would he take his fate to save everyone else? The answer was obvious to him; it was the execution that would cause difficulties – Khan new his vision, he wasn’t going to release Leonard’s hand anytime soon and risk him getting hurt. He was just pondering how far he would have to venture into the dark opening to activate his premonition and if he could possible making a sprint for it without being caught, when he was given his opening.

Jim spotted something on the wall a little way from the opening and the others all moved over to take a closer look, Khan rather reluctantly releasing Leonard’s hand. Left alone, Leonard took a deep breath and stepped through the entryway. The light of his torch barely penetrated a foot in front of him and he cautiously walked further into the tunnel, the screaming in his head getting louder and louder until it was just white noise. He glanced over his shoulder after a while to see that he couldn’t see the room anymore; he was surrounded by darkness and he began to feel claustrophobic. He wished he had a plan but all he could do was wait for the future to catch up with him. He had just steeled himself to walk a little further, hoping to trigger…something, when he was startled by a hand on his shoulder. Leonard spun around, nearly losing his balance but strong arms around him kept him from falling. He looked up to find Khan frowning angrily down at him.

“What. Do. You. Think. You. Are. Doing?” Khan forced out and Leonard knew that the augment was tearing himself apart to keep his anger in.

“I had to,” Leonard tried to say but Khan quickly cut him off.

“HAD TO? You didn’t have to do anything! You told me your premonition; I thought you knew that there was no way I was going to let anything happen to you. And here you are, forcing your foreseen future!”

“I had to!” Leonard shouted back. “As soon as we saw that tunnel, I knew that the future I saw was going to happen. Maybe not to me, but it was going to happen. Did you really expect me to risk my friends lives, your life, when I could so easily keep you safe.”

Khan stared down at him, something akin to shock on his face, then pulled Leonard tightly to his chest. They clutched at each other, reassuring themselves that each was safe (if only for now) in the arms of the other.

“Come on,” Khan finally said, his voice quiet and subdued. “Let’s head back to the others.”

“Khan…”Leonard started but the taller man just shook his head – he didn’t want to hear the truth; that Leonard’s vision was still to come – and pressed their lips together. Leonard opened quickly to him, absorbing the feelings they shared and sending them right back. When they broke apart, Khan gently began leading him back towards the circular cave, his enhanced sight allowing him to see almost clearly in the darkness. Leonard was just beginning to wander how far he had actually walked when he heard a rumble above him. Without thinking, his body stopped and his hand slipped out of Khan’s grip. Something hit his head, the rumble got louder and louder until all noise went out and Leonard’s world closed.

 

 

When Leonard came to, he first registered that it was difficult to breathe. He couldn’t see anything around him but he quickly established that it was due to lack of light rather than injury. He tried to move but his body was heavy and lethargic and when he tried to force the movement pain shot up his entire body, robbing him of what little breath he had. It took him a long time to pull enough air back into his body to focus on the fact that someone was sobbing nearby.

“Please, Leonard, please!”

_“Please, please wake up. Leonard please!”_

The cry was almost the exact same one he had heard before and it brought him to two realisations: 1) he wasn’t as alone as he first thought, and 2) Khan’s voice suggested that he was close to sobbing. Leonard worked to clear his throat and just managed to choke out a sound that might have been ‘Khan’.

“Leonard!” Khan’s voice seemed to be travelling through a fog and Leonard wondered if it was due to his head being hit or if something was blocking them from each other.

“Wha…what happened?” Leonard coughed, his lungs struggling to bring in the air he needed to breathe, let alone speak.

“The tunnel collapsed. You’re hurt, aren’t you.” The last wasn’t a question so Leonard figured that he didn’t really need to answer and so chose to conserve air and energy. Khan seemed to know that he wasn’t going to reply so he continued talking. “I’m so sorry, Leonard. I failed to keep you safe when I knew you were in danger, I should never have let you out of my sight for a minute.”

“It’s not your fault, Khan, please believe that,” Leonard said quietly. He was glad for his lover’s superior senses because he couldn’t speak any louder. His brain was fighting to keep consciousness but there just wasn’t enough air. Khan seemed to know something was wrong so he began shouting Leonard’s name again, trying to keep his attention.

“Look, I can’t move so you have to go,” Leonard said weakly.

_“I can’t move, you’ve got to go!”_

“No!” Khan shouted. “I promised you that I wouldn’t leave you, and there is no way you can make me break that promise.”

“Please Khan!” Leonard begged. “You have to get to the others; maybe they can help you get to me.”

“You’re suffocating, I can hear it. Even with both mine and Spock’s strength, we’ll never get to you in time.”

“Just try. Please. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.”

_“I'm sorry, so sorry!”_

Leonard could barely focus; he kept slipping between life and premonition, unsure what was real and what wasn’t now. He couldn’t breathe and the darkness was crowding him more than it was before.

_Everything was dark and there was no air._

Khan wasn’t calling to him anymore so Leonard could only hope that he had gone to the others. All he had wanted to do was help his friends but he knew that dying here would bring them grief.

_“I tried, I tried!”_

“I tried,” Leonard repeated, his voice practically non-existent. He spared a thought for what Khan would do now and how he wished he had voiced his feelings. He had thought it was too soon – they hadn’t met that long ago – but it seemed time had never been on their side. And he knew Khan; he did, just as Khan knew him. Their time together may have been short but they had exchanged so much. Leonard took a breath but found that there was no more air to take in. The world was already dark for him so he simply let himself slip, sending a last thought of love to Khan.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Voices.

They seemed familiar.

There wasn’t the distance of a premonition.

He could feel his body. It hurt.

Leonard opened his eyes to see the ceiling of the _Enterprise_ ’s sick bay. He couldn’t move his body still but considering just lying there hurt, he didn’t really feel like moving.

“Welcome back,” a soft voice broke the silence around him. Leonard fought the pain and turned his head to see Khan sitting by his bed, eyes locked on him but holding a tumult of emotions. Leonard opened his mouth to try and speak but all that came out was a strangled moan.

“Don’t speak,” Khan ordered gently and leaned over to feed him some ice chips. “I’ll get M’Benga. Don’t go anywhere.” Leonard wanted to argue, say that he couldn’t possibly move but he knew that if he wanted his throat to heal he shouldn’t do anything to aggravate it. So he just closed his eyes and focused on breathing now there was air around him. When he heard footsteps approaching him, he reopened his eyes to see Doctor M’Benga standing over him – Khan had sat back in his chair.

“How are you feeling Leonard?” M’Benga asked, PADD out in front of him, checking the readings of the biobed.

“Sore,” Leonard managed to croak.

“And you will be for a while. You’ve suffered from severe oxygen deprivation and you trapped under quite a few rocks – we had to fix both of your fibulas, your left tibia and your pelvis. You’re going to be in pain for a little while.”

“Great,” Leonard muttered, and wasn’t impressed when both M’Benga and Khan both chuckled. M’Benga ran a few more tests then left Leonard and Khan alone, promising that if all went well, he’d release Leonard the next day. Once he had left, Khan shifted closer, resting his elbows on the edge of the bed, linking his hand with Leonard’s and placing their heads closer.

“Hey,” he whispered.

“Hey,” Leonard whispered back.

“I thought I’d lost you,” Khan admitted, voice struggling to withhold all of the emotions he was feeling. Leonard smiled lovingly at him but didn’t say anything; there was nothing for him to say and Khan’s next words showed that he knew that.

“I understand why you felt you had to do what you did. I would have done anything to keep you safe if I knew how. I love you Leonard, I love you.”

“I love you too.”

They sat in comfortable silence, just sharing their love through eye contact and joined hands until Leonard fell asleep.

 

M’Benga stayed true to his word and let Leonard leave the next morning but expressly forbade him from returning to duty for another week. Leonard normally would have argued but Jim had swung by to walk him back to his quarters and had informed him in a conspiratorial tone that “a certain someone is also on leave”. So, it was with a smile that Leonard entered his quarters, knowing what – or rather who – he would see. However, the sight that greeted him was a little different to what he expected and he gasped in shocked delight.

“Come and join me?” Khan asked with a smirk from his position on Leonard’s bed. He was just lounging there, on top of his sheets, no clothes in sight. Leonard matched his smirk and pulled his shirt off.

“Oh, I’d be happy to darling,” he drawled.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so a few things I need to explain.  
> 1\. Yes, I gave McCoy precognition powers. I don't really know why, it was just an idea in my head and seemed a fantastic way to pair him with Khan.  
> 2\. The quotes in italics at the beginning are quotes from 'Into Darkness'. In this story, only the opening (when they're on Nibiru) actually takes place. The rest is just a premonition for McCoy, except that Jim isn't brought back to life.  
> 3\. I realised as I was writing it that it seemed silly that McCoy jumped between London and San Francisco a lot at the beginning but it was the only way for me to write the interaction between Jim and McCoy which I really wanted to do.  
> 4\. Title is a line from John Newman's 'Running'.  
> 5\. I haven't tagged any other relationships so it's really up to you how you see everyone else.  
> 6\. There is no Carol Marcus. I don't really have anything against her but there was no real need for her to be on the Enterprise in this version of events so she is staying on Earth to cope with the betrayal of her father. 
> 
> I think that's basically it but if there's anything else I'll add it later or if you notice anything, comment box is below.


End file.
